Hitching device.



A. E. BRETZ.

HITGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION NLRB 001'. 23, 1909.

968,322. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

- HE mamas PETERS co., wasnmzrcm. n. c.

ALLEN E. BRETZ, OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

HITCI-IING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1909.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Serial No. 524,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN E. BRETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Fairfield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hitching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in buggy hitching devices, and the object is to provide a quick and simple means of attaching the shafts or thills of the vehicle to the draft end, and by means of my invent-ion I am enabled to dispense with the ordinary swingletree, the leather shaft-holder, and a large portion of the tugs or traces, and this invention avoids the necessity of wrapping the hold-back or quarter-strap around the shaft.

lVith these objects in view, this invention comprises spring metal clamps each folded in the middle to form a recess, and these folded edges each having a slot, the clamps adapted to be secured to the shafts or thills, in connection with plates secured to the lower ends of the saddle straps and to the rear ends of the tugs, and to which the hold-back or quarter-straps leading from the breeching are attached, and spring catches for detachably connecting the plates to their respective clamps.

My invention further consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing a fragment of a shaft or thill with the clamp attached thereto, and the parts in their relative assembled relation; Fig. 2 shows a clamp and plate detached and in side elevation; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

A represents one member of the shafts or thills and 1 indicates a clamp made of a single piece of spring metal folded at the center to form two members 2, 2, the latter being spaced apart, as at 3, by spacing washers 4, 4, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained, and a slot 4 is formed in the folded upper edge as an entrance into this space 3, the purpose of which will be explained. The sides of the clamp are rounded outwardly to receive and embrace the sides of the shaft, and the bolts 5, 5, are used as a means for fastening the clamp to the shafts or thills, as indicated in Fig. 1.

A plate B of the general form illustrated in Fig. 2, is provided with a buckle 6 at the top, by which it is attached to the saddle strap 7 and is provided at its forward end with some form of clasp 8, as illustrated, to receive the tug 9, which latter extends rearwardly from the breast collar or hames. The rear end of the plate is provided with a form of clasp 10, to receive the hold-back or quarter-strap 11.

As a means of attaching the shafts to the harness, a tongue 12 is formed at the lower edge of the plate B, and this tongue is provided with orifices 13, 13, and is adapted to enter the slot 4 in the clamp and be held between the parallel walls of the members 2, 2, occupying the space 3. A spring catch 14, secured at 15 to the clamp, is provided with studs 16, 16, in position to enter the orifices 13, 13, in the tongue 12, whereby to lock the plate B to the clamp 1. In this way a coupling or uncoupling is quickly effected it merely being necessary to pull the spring catch to one side at the free end sufiiciently far to withdraw the studs 16 from the orifices 13, thus detaching the shafts from the harness. I

Fro-m the foregoing, it will be seen that very short tugs may be used, they being in the neighborhood of a foot only in length, the ordinary swingletree is entirely superfluous, the leather shaft holder is eliminated, and I do away with the wrapping of the hold-back or quarter-strap around the thill.

More or less slight changes may be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth, but:

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A buggy hitching device comprising a plate B terminating in a tongue at the lower edge and provided at the upper edge, front and rear ends with means for attachment to difierent parts of a harness, and a clamp composed of a single piece of sheet metal folded and spaced apart approximately at In testimony whereof I a'flix my signature, the center, and the fold slotted t0 repleige in the presence of two Witnesses. the ton ue and as ring catch Carrie y the clanip 21nd havin g studs adapted to en- ALLEN BRETZ' 5 ter registered orifices in the clamp and Witnesses:

tongue When the parts are together for se- A. B. KIRFERBER, curing the tongue in the clamp. VAN A. SNIDER. 

